🎙 Episode 62 – Why Are We Playing?

G’day and welcome back to Piano, Finally. This week included two very different performances: Circa and the Art of the Fugue at City Recital Hall, and Radio Luxembourg at The Joan in Penrith. Both highlighted the power of live music, from Bach’s intricate counterpoint to the raw energy of 1960s rock and pop.

🎭 Performance Reviews

• Circa and the Art of the Fugue combined the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra with contemporary circus from Circa. Historically informed Baroque met modern dance—plus some spectacular floor rolling. A unique experience worth catching in Melbourne. More info
• Radio Luxembourg featured John Waters, Stewart D’Arrietta and the Chartbusters. It’s a trip through the British invasion, with music from The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Troggs and more. Great fun and beautifully played. Radio Luxembourg Live

📝 Essay – Why Are We Playing?
Both concerts raised a bigger question: why do we play music? The Brandenburg players acted as messengers for Bach’s intent, while the rock band communicated their personal connection to the songs. For amateurs like me, the “why” often comes down to enjoyment. We practise, persevere, and share music not for a paycheque, but for the joy of saying, this piece means something to me, and I want to share it with you.

🎹 Gear Review – Adam D3V Monitor Speakers & K&M 18807 Holders
Thanks to a video by DSoundman, I’ve upgraded the Nord Stage 4 setup with Adam D3V speakers mounted on K&M 18807 holders. The sound is a huge improvement, and the speakers sit right where they should—making practice far more enjoyable.

🎼 Progress
This week I’ve circled back to four older pieces: Spindler’s Canon, Türk’s Bagatelle in F, and Andrew Craggs’s Afternoon Snooze and Blackout Blues. All recorded on the Kawai NV10 through Pianoteq 8 on Cubase, emulating the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX grand.

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You can contact me:

• via email at david@pianofinally.show; this is probably the best option
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Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast are affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link.
All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

🎙 Episode 61 – When Are We Going to Use This?

Welcome back to Piano, Finally, where I share the ups, downs, and sideways detours of learning piano later in life. This week’s opening note: if you contact me via Buzzsprout’s FanMail, I can’t reply—so if you’d like a conversation, please send an email to david@pianofinally.show.

It’s Science Week here in NSW schools, and between showing science demos to preschoolers and heading out to a Bach-meets-acrobatics performance, I’ve also been keeping an eye on September’s Sydney Fringe Festival.

YouTube Spotlight – Ben Maton, The Salisbury Organist
The algorithm got this one right. Ben Maton’s channel features visits to rural British churches, telling their stories and playing their organs—sometimes linking the repertoire directly to the church’s history. Expect Elgar in his birthplace, Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar, and even Elvis. Ben also composes, writes for Choir & Organ magazine, and shares his broader work at benmatonmusic.co.uk.

Essay – When Are We Going to Use This?
In teaching (and learning music), the question often isn’t about the piece itself, but the skills learned along the way. Just as science lessons might quietly teach students how to follow instructions, beginner pieces like Amazing Grace teach note-reading, even if they’ll never be performed. The best reason to choose a piece is to develop a skill you’ll use later—something I kept in mind when selecting my latest repertoire with Devi.

Review – ANZCA Modern Pianoforte Preliminary – Series 2
This companion to last week’s classical book includes pop, rock, blues, and boogie pieces. I’ve chosen Tick Tock Blues (C major, staccato/legato), Sneak (E♭ major), and Blue Sky Boogie (mezzo staccato). Slightly simpler than the classical volume, but great for building targeted skills.
Book link | ANZCA shop

Progress
This week: Study in G (Müller), Tick Tock Blues (Hunter), and the descending scale from Riders on the Storm. Classical pieces recorded on the Kawai NV10 with Pianoteq 8; Riders on the Nord Stage 4 with My Keys To Music presets.

📬 david@pianofinally.show | 🌐 pianofinally.show

The contents of this podcast were entirely generated by a human. These show notes, however, were created by ChatGPT.

Send me a text message.

You can contact me:

• via email at david@pianofinally.show; this is probably the best option
• the show website, www.pianofinally.show
• Instagram and Threads @pianofinally
• and on YouTube
• all the podcast directories - list
• here's the RSS feed

Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast are affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link.
All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.

🎙 Episode 60 – Choosing Six

Welcome to Episode 60 of Piano, Finally, a podcast about learning the piano later in life and enjoying the journey along the way.

This week, tickets went on sale for the Out West Piano Fest. It will be held in October at Blackdown Farm in Bathurst and features five concerts over three days with meals included. Wynona Wang, prize-winner at the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition, will be performing, along with other pianists and a few surprise guests. More details are at Out West Piano Fest.

Early morning practice has its perks, but also one drawback: the cold. A simple solution? Fingerless merino wool gloves. They keep the hands warm without interfering with playing. Macpac Fingerless Gloves

YouTube Review – Greg Allison
This week I recommend Greg Allison’s channel, where he demonstrates all the presets for the Native Instruments Claire piano—over 100 in total. These videos are beautifully recorded, text-labelled, and let the sound speak for itself. He also covers Pianoteq instruments and other music gear. Greg Allison on YouTube

Essay – Choosing Six
New term, new pieces. Devi and I picked six pieces from the ANZCA Preliminary books to focus on specific skills: rhythm, articulation (particularly mixing legato and staccato), dynamics, and better awareness of key signatures. These selections are designed to help me progress steadily, building skills I can later bring back to more challenging pieces like the Mozart and Rossi works.

Review – ANZCA Preliminary Classical
The ANZCA preliminary series books are excellent stepping stones between preparatory pieces and Grade One. They include technical exercises, classical-era works, and 20th-century pieces. I review the classical book in this episode.
ANZCA website
ANZCA piano books
Classical Pianoforte Series 2 Preliminary Book

Progress
This week’s practice includes the first two of the new pieces: Study in G by August Müller and Tick Tock Blues by Glenn R. Hunter. For something different, you’ll also hear Dorico’s playback of these pieces before my own recordings

The contents of this podcast were entirely generated by a human. These show notes, however, were created by ChatGPT.

Send me a text message.

You can contact me:

• via email at david@pianofinally.show; this is probably the best option
• the show website, www.pianofinally.show
• Instagram and Threads @pianofinally
• and on YouTube
• all the podcast directories - list
• here's the RSS feed

Some of the links to books and other items mentioned in the podcast are affiliate links for Amazon or other providers. If you use one of these links, a commission may be paid to me at no additional cost to you. Thank you if you use a link.
All reviews of products, websites and services are unpaid, and no sponsorship has been received for any content on this podcast.